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'Eternal Kalotaszeg
– In Memoriam Varga Ferenc Csipas'

Musicians:
Erika Demeter (Romanian), Agnes Herczku, Laszlo Lengyel „Tiirei" (Hungarian), Istvan Varga „Kiscsipas" (Gypsy, Hungarian) - voice

Balazs Vizeli - violin (as Csipas, jr.)
Tamas Gombai - violin (as Csipas, sr.)
PA Isrnan „Szalonna" - violin (as Sandor Fodor "Neti")

Istvan Varga „Kiscsipas" - violin
Laszlo Mester - 4 stringed viola
Laszlo Kelemen - 3 stringed viola
Pal Havasreti - cello

Robert Door - double bass

Based on field recordings made by:
Zoltan Kallos, Laszlo Kelemen, Gyorgy Martin, Levente Szekely, Andras Totszegi „Deak", and Rezso Vegvari

Label - ABt, Hungary
Released 2005

CD size foldout digipak format with 34 pages (in Hungarian and English)

Members of some of the finest Hungarian folk ensembles musically re-constructing the authentic folk music of Kalotaszeg, Transylvania. They have done this as a memorial to the famous Kalotaszegi fiddler Ferenc Varga known locally as 'Csipas'.



From CD notes by Laszlo Kelemen
(read an article on Hungarian folk music in our magazine section):
"After crossing Kiralyhago Pass in Transvlvania, the traveller coming from Hungary will soon find himself in the Kalotaszeg region. It is typically hilly Transylvanian countryside, in the shadow of the Western Carpathians. Banffvhunyad [Huedin] is the first larger town, where the ruins of a village existence can still be found behind modern buildings that have grown ugly. At the beginning of the town, there are shinning, Mercedes emblem adorned, tin-roofed Gypsy palaces; structures sadly flaunting the current times. On the main square is the Hungarian Calvinist church built after the Mongol invasion. Across the railroad tracks, in the direction of the village of Varalmas [Almasu], is the Gypsy colony with its dilapidated, falling apart houses. Today the Calvinist, "Hungarian" Gypsy "Csipas" family still live in this quarter. The first famous member of this family was 'left handed' Ferenc Varga "Csipas". In the 1940's, he played in the Hungarian film entitled 'Kalotaszegi madonna' and he could read music. His sons became musicians as well and since the Gypsies have traditionally served the musical needs of everyone in this region, they carried on after their father. Banffyhunyad's location as a crossroads was advantageous for the family: they played to the universal satisfaction of all in the Kalotaszeg region - for Hungarians, Romanians, Gypsies alike. An immense knowledge accumulated in the head and heart peaked in the artistry of Ferenc Varga "Csipas", jr. 

Perhaps it is strange to speak of artistry in the context of folklore, but I don't know of anywhere else in Transylvania, or in Kalotaszeg, that has such 
a classically balanced instrumental folk music where such careful attention is paid to performance style, violin tone and proportion, and is accompanied by an eternally artistic synthesis of a personal, virtuose sound and community knowledge. Amongst Hungarian folk musicians, the name "Csipas" is intertwined with Kaloraszeg and has become legendary, while the music played by him has become compulsory material to be learned by musicians of the Hungarian dance house movement. As I prepared to make this recording, my task was relatively easy since I was able to work with musicians who didn't need much explained about the finer points of Ferenc Varga "Csipas" style. The fact that I had had the opportunity to play at balls and weddings with Csipas in the beginning of the 1980's, along with the significant collections of field recordings available to me, also helped my work a great deal.

The world of the music heard on this recording is gone for good. Despite the drastic, sobering changes, the vulgar tin-reality- this world has already survived in our heads and in our hearts, alive together with the Kalotaszeg of our ancestors. The characteristic dances of the ethnic groups of the region intertwine with the music - which is uniform, immortal and Hungarian."
Laszlo Kelemen

GBP 12.49

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'Eternal Kalotaszeg
– In Memoriam Varga Ferenc Csipas'

This symbol  indicates an mp3 sound clip for that track. Click on the symbol and wait for the clip to start. For more information click here. Tracks

1. A romanoke: Pe drum, rara, invartita, cel iute, Tunes played for the Romanians: On the road, men's dance, turning and fast couple dances (14'30") 2. A magyaroke: Hajnali, csardas es szapora,  Tunes played for the Hungarians: Dawn song, Couple dances:  csardas and fast (21'25") 3. Pakular-notak es legenyesek, Shepherds' Song and men's dances (9'59") 4. Csardas es szapora Couple dances (6'52") 5. Virraszto enekek, Songs for the wake (7'42") 6. Ciganycsardas es szapora, Gypsy couple dances (5'03") 7. Varga Ferenc „Csipas" notaja, Csipas Feri's tune (1'03")

Duration (66'36")

Our mp3 samples are approximately 30 seconds long and of low(ish) quality for a fast download (file size app 300KB)